Home decor can be tricky for some people, for others it's second nature. But what do you do when you want your cozy cottage to seem like a massive mansion? There's always one room in a house that can be tricky to decorate because of its size. Whether it's the living room or dining room, there are tips and tricks for a room makeover to make a small room look bigger.
Wall color
Sometimes the easiest way to make a small room look large is by changing the wall color. Using colors that are lighter rather than darker will keep the room brighter. While darker colors can make the room seem cozy, the lighter colors reflect and multiply the available light, making it feel light and airy.
If you opt for wallpaper instead of painting in your home, be sure to choose a simple pattern if you're going to hang it in a smaller room. The best wallpaper options are ones that have either a monochromatic pattern, a small pattern that "disappears," or just a solid color. Anything with a large pattern or too many colors would be too distracting and overwhelming for the smaller room.
De-clutter
Purging yourself of extra knick-knacks and decorations will instantly lighten your space. Being able to keep a room clean, tidy and organized will instantly make a small room look larger than it is. Keep this phrase in mind – a place for everything and everything in its place. If you have enough storage to keep things out of sight when cleaning time comes, you'll have a bigger space in no time.
Removing clutter from your walls and shelves will also help the room look larger. Instead of having your entire collection of antique dolls on display, select a few to showcase at a time. Your collection will seem that much more dramatic and less cluttered.
Same goes for photos, art and mirrors on your wall. Simplifying the layout of framed items on your wall will also make your photos more dramatic.
DIY: Instead of hanging six or eight smaller photos on the wall, hang one large photo surrounded by smaller photos with similar mages. For example, hang a large family portrait in the center then hang smaller portraits of your extended family around it.
Types of furniture
Furniture can be tricky in small rooms. In living rooms, too many couches will make the room feel bulky and claustrophobic. By simply reducing the amount of furniture in the room, you'll have more open space that will also be functional.
If you have a small den with oversized couches and a large wooden coffee table, the room will start to feel like more of a dungeon than a den.
Replace one or both of the oversized couches with a streamlined chair in a lighter colored fabric that matches your color scheme. As for the wooden coffee table, switch that out with a glass coffee table. The glass will disappear among the room instead of becoming the first thing that catches your eye in the sea of couches.
Furniture arrangement
Not only does the size and amount of furniture play a role in making your small room look bigger, but how you arrange it matters as well. There are no rules when it comes to where you can place your furniture. Interior designers aren't going to come in and tell you you're wrong – because there is no wrong.
If your bed looks best against a wall that covers your window, then keep it there. Moving your furniture around might show you that you have more available space than you thought you had.
Lighting
Proper lighting will go a long way when you're trying to make your home seem larger. Overhead fixtures pool light in one spot-- if you combine floor lamps and table lamps in different areas of the room, you'll create more available light. The different fixtures will draw the eye around to different areas, tricking you into thinking the space is larger.
Use vertical space
If you have the budget for it, build floor-to-ceiling shelving units. The customized look will make your room feel grand and the height of the built-ins will draw the eye upward. Not to mention the added storage space you'll have.
Another idea is to build storage nooks under a flight of stairs, or make a window bench with storage underneath. Hanging pictures and shelves above doorways in bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms will also draw the eye upward and give the illusion of more space.
Anyone of these tips will make your home seem larger than it is. Combining them will make the most out of your space and many of the ideas will also offer added storage for a bonus!